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Shellon
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My daughter, Kelly is 11 years old and has been interested in contact lenses. Last August when she brought it up to her eye doc he said yes she was a good candidate for contacts, but he had two rules first.

1. She had to keep a pet alive for one year.

2. She had to keep her room relatively clean for same year.

It's time for her annual exam and she's done both of the above pretty well; the pets are still alive and the health department hasn't condemned her room.

And she's still interested, save for a couple of concerns I expected like being afraid they'll hurt, she'll poke her eye out with that thing and 'what if I lose them and you take all my savings mom'.

As a mom I'm interested in other parents' thoughts. Does your kid have contacts, have you as the parent been happy with them, etc.

I am familiar with the recent cleansing solution mess.

Kelly has been wearing glasses since she was 5 years old and will do so the rest of her life at this point. She hasn't been a problem about wearing them, cuz frankly she can't see w/o them very well. She's taken excellent care of them, having fallen asleep and bent them only one time in all these years, never lost them.

So, in all that I think she'd do well with contacts and I've done a little research about kinds and types; disposable, etc., but don't see much really. She and her doctor will discuss all that in two weeks when her appt is, as well.

When my oldest daughter got contacts from same doctor years ago, they wouldn't let us leave until she could put them in and take them out properly; a practice I liked.

I am concerned about her losing them, yes, because of the expense, but I dunno, I think we know our kids and Kelly is pretty responsible about everything else.........

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Everyone in our family wears them... although the kids wear them like their mother: take them out only when replacing them. I take mine out every night, they feel better to me that way and I think I've heard that it's healthier for the eyes although the eye doc said they could be slept in.

That being said, you should probably have a pair of glasses around as well. I have a severe astigmatism and my eyes don't tear as much as they should and until recently I could not find any that either didn't stay in or feel comfortable.

She just has to remember to always wash her hands before handling, the disposable ones should be safe enough. When she gets to be 18 (pretty much grown) you might consider one of the surgeries if she's a candidate. The expense of the surgery is probably equal to about 10 years worth of contacts (if not less) and she won't have to bother with them anymore (but let's not get ahead of ourselves!)...

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The only concern I have is how stable is her prescribtion? If her eyes are going to change and she will require Rx adjustment, that means new lenses, and I don't think I'd do that, as a parent, unless I was as satisfied as possible that this wasn't likely.

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I have a severe astigmatism. I used to wear contacts when all they had for eyes like mine were hard lenses and I wore them when they made soft lenses for astigmatisms.

My advice is buy insurance.

My prescriptions seemed to change less when I wore contacts. One eye doc said that contacts strain eyes less than glasses do.

I was told a couple years ago that what makes me need glasses could be fixed with a $500 or so incision. I said no thanks, I don't mind glasses that much. The idea of an incision there creeps me out.

I've been thinking about getting contacts for myself again.

And, with disposable lenses, you don't buy a year's worth at a time. If the Rx changes, just order the new Rx when you get the next batch.

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i'm blind and can't see

oops that's not what i wanted to type

damn these contacts, wait i clicked on the wrong contacts

um............do what's best and as a parent you will NEVER KNOW

what's right...........you JUST DO and the lord covers the rest

and that's what makes you a GREAT parent

i kinda think that god covers his own

with love, grace and .............add the rest

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My son started wearing glasses at age 6 and got contacts in junior high school. Back then hard was the best choice because soft weren't as perfected as they are now. He started wearing disposal at some point and prefers them. But he doesn't wear them as long as you can and gives his eyes breaks at night when he thinks needed. I wouldn't know what that would mean though (sorry).

When he first started wearing contacts he developed a habit of putting them in with certain conditions where if they were dropped he could control the area they'd fall, I think that helped him feel more secure. He'd never do it over an open drain for instance.

He also had a pair of glasses that were as best as I could afford no more than one prescription behind his contacts should he they be needed for the short term.

His vision didn't weaken as quickly once he started wearing contacts but I have no idea if related.

I think your responsible daughter sounds like the perfect candidate.

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My daughter, Kelly is 11 years old and has been interested in contact lenses. Last August when she brought it up to her eye doc he said yes she was a good candidate for contacts, but he had two rules first.

1. She had to keep a pet alive for one year.

2. She had to keep her room relatively clean for same year.

How much did you have to bribe the doc,

to add #2 there? ;)

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lol dmiller, I never said a word. When we go to any of her doctors, I work really hard at keeping my mouth shut and just listening; I want her to take responsibility for her stuff, so if it's hers, she'll do what's required.

I liked his style of dealing with a kid; very cool. And not only is he an eye doc but a dad too.

:)

Edited by Shellon Fockler-North
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Kelly's at a good age to start and has the responsibility needed to be successful. She will need a pair of glasses as back-up, but that can probably be the pair she is wearing now. I would follow the advice of the doctor on what kind to purchase. He sound great! My daughter has been wearing contacts since about Kelly's age. She now works for our pediatric opthamologist and trains new contact wearers on proper use and care of them. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions for her concerning Kelly and her contacts.

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Well I'm a parent-but kids not old enough to answer based on that.

I can say that I started wearing contacts when I was 13 and had no problems with them. I made sure to always put them in at the bathroom sink with the drain closed. Never lost one--and if they are not disposable you normally need to replace them once a year anyway as far as RX changes.

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one other thing... the doc would love for you to buy the lenses from him, before you do it, tell him you get great prices at www.lensmart.com and then they give you 10% off of that...

I tell my doc that I'd love to give him the business if possible and can they match the price, less 10%??? ...they look it up while I'm there and always agree...

(that way you get a good price and don't have to pay the shipping!)

If they don't agree, order from Lensmart, I've used them other times and they're a good place...

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hello shell,

I know your a great parent and will do whatever is best with your kid.

My personal opinion is that kids should not have contacts until in the teens and then only then if they seem responsible. My daughter got contact lenses when she was thirteen and she still didn't care for them and ended up wearing glasses still to this day. Although she is looking into wearing them again, I hope at age 19 she will be ready.

This is only my opinion for my kids. Every parent and every kid is different.

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